Usually a child is registered for census when they turn one and sometimes even earlier. But in Meritsemo village under Chhukha Dzongkhag, there lives a family of six children whose case in otherwise. None of the children in the family has been registered for census.
The youngest is three and a half years old and the eldest is 13. Their father is from Meritsem Zabji in Chhukha and mother is from Merak in Trashigang. But, legally the children are neither from Trashigang nor from Chhukha as their census have not been registered either with their mother or father.
According to Ap Matay, the father, old citizenship card of his wife go misplaced and he could not make a new one for her. This, he explained, is because his wife was mentally unstable and he had to take care of her in addition to doing household chores.
“She has been undergoing treatment for the last 14 years. I even had to resign from my job, the Royal Bhutan Police. I am myself a chronic ulcer patient and has to frequently visit the hospital for medication,” said Ap Matay.
According to the village Tshogpa, Thinley Dorji, the family used to live in isolation in the woods below Meritsemo village. They were brought to Meritsemo village by the teachers of the school in the village to enroll the children in school.
Today, two children have been enrolled in the school as a beneficiary of the Tarayana foundation. Two others are in private monastic schools.
He added that they are also working towards registering the census of the children. For that they have to first process the identity card of the mother.
The elder citizens of the village have provided Ap Matay and his family with a house to live in and a shop in the village is sponsoring their ration. Without having to worry for shelter and food, Ap Matay’s only concern for now is the census registration of his children.
